Jack Frost

We had frost this past week. This is a very rare occurrence here in South West Florida. Actually the last time I think I saw frost was when I was in Tampa 4 years ago. It was cold for about a week. It was horrible. The heater in my classroom is broken too. It had to be 60 degrees in there. It was quite awful. My poor kidos. Here are the pictures of my car and the front yard with the closet think we will ever have to snow.

Shower phase 3

With the help of Brannon and Bryan, Derick put up the cement walls. He also finished the ceiling. We went shopping for tile recently too. We found glass accent tiles that go fantastic with our wonderful colored porcelain. I am getting very excited!

Bros for the weekend

The brothers came over last weekend. It is always fun to have the whole lot of them around. Bryan even made breakfast for everyone!!

Kevyn, Brannon, and Bryan planning the 360.

I'm Offical!

After hours of studying, writing papers and responses of what they WANT to hear, observing, jumping thorough hoops, hundreds of activities, tests, quizzes, strategies, and $450 for only the piece of paper, I am OFICALLY a teacher!!! No more sending letters home to parents every MONTH saying that I am not “qualified” to teach their children reading. I tell you what though, I have learned A LOT in the past three years! I’m not sure it was from all the classes I had to take or from the kids themselves, but I feel I know more now than when I started. (Thankfully) It feels great to have that finished!! Olay!

The Garden

This is the garden project a couple of my students and one of the interpreters are tending to. One of our building attendants have taken it on too. I think they are doing a fantastic job!! They are growing collards, snap peas (in the back,) radishes, squash, tomatoes, rosemary, mint, and wild flowers (which are in the front and look more like weeds than anything still.) We are about the cook up the collards soon and the radishes are pretty much done. We have two tomatoes, but haven’t seen anything from the squashes yet. We are talking strawberries and potatoes for the next go around. I am so proud of them! I have a purple thumb and it would have never happen with out the help.

Shower phase 2

We now have a ceiling! That is also layer 1 of 4 of wall…it think. Go D Go!!

Big News!!

Yeah not THAT big news! Not yet at least!!
Well it has come to pass that we are now a kitten-less. Our friends Rob and Kristin have chosen to adopt the little one on a two week trial period (Rob is allergic to cats.) It has only been a week and after seeing him at their house and talking to them, I think they are pretty smitten and he will not be returning. Oh well. He was great while it lasted. We are down by one and back to two felines.

Medieval Feast

The brothers (Bryan and Kevyn)’s youth group put on an “Ole English Feast.” This is a fundraiser their church does during the Christmas season. As you came into the hall The Town Crier would announce your name and ladies would seat you at your table. That was fallowed by the procession of the king, queen, lords and ladies. Dinner was next and last the music entertainment. They did a very good job! It was a lot of fun. ~Yes, those are tights!!!

Happy to the New Year!!

The kiss at midnight!

Fallowed by the squirt of the silly string.

Derick, Stefinee, and Kevyn playing Rock Band on the 360. It was the entertainment of the evening.

Now it's Derick's, Rob's and Jim's turn to show off the mad musical skills.

The food spred. I was somewhat proud of myself....I cooked! I made fancy queso and fresh guacamole. Queso will make it on the nexk party table, the guacamole will not. That was hard to do. Who knew that the avacadoes had to be ripe to make it right!?

Some of the girls: Kristin (soon to be Mrs. Reed), Whitney (me), Chirssy (soon to be proud mama, and Tiffany (soon to be graduate.)

Shower phase 1

One of our goals this break has been to make the master shower. When we bought the house the master shower had to be completely replaced. The tile was cracked and they never used any green board so it was molding everything underneath. So we have been using the guest shower since we moved in July. The making of the new shower has been delayed several times now and this break has been no exception. As Derick was putting up Christmas lights on the house he noticed the solar heater for the pool was cutting through the shingles and allowing water to rot the plywood underneath. I don’t think we would have made it through another rainy season without a disaster, so none-the-less the shower was postponed until the roof was finished. Derick being fantastic, has finished the roof and STARTED the shower!! Right now only the framing for the step and the fist layer of mortar is down, but it not just a whole in the wall anymore! Keep up the good work D!

PS: Yes, that is a bidet. The original builder of the house was a plumber and we have crazy things like that randomly around the house.

HAPPY ONE YEAR FOR US!!! 12/28

Picture at church that morning. After which Derick and I went to Ted’s Montana Grill and ate lunch together. We talked about how blessed we have been this first year of marriage! Some of the highlights: honeymoon, buying the house, the kitten, and thinking about babies!

So come to find out that the top of the cake was left at the church in their freezer. We were hoping it was still there, a year later. Lucky for us it still was, well maybe not that lucky. It didn’t taste very good. Derick didn't want to eat it, but he humored me.

The first bite.
For being such a good sport about the whole thing I had the cake maker make a new top of the cake for Derick for his anniversary present. He actually never did get a piece of cake at the wedding, only the bite after cutting it. The story goes; Derick had received a piece and sat down to eat it. Well he got called away for something and then came back later to find his niece eating it, though he does not hold it against her.

This is where the rest of the old cake went.

One year down.....forever to go!